Hawaii Island United Way : About Us : History of Hawaii Island United Way

History of Hawaii Island United Way

In the beginning, when we were known as Hawaii Island United Fund (HUI), we started doing what we do best: fundraising. Our charter of incorporation was signed on January 16, 1967 and that fall, we held our first fundraising drive. Then, as now, "Fair Share," or giving one hour's pay per month, was one of the basic themes of our efforts.
 
By 1974, the Hawaii Island United Fund, Inc. had evolved into Hawaii Island United Way, Inc., keeping pace with thousands of other community-based United Fund organizations across the country that also changed their names to align with the national United Way of America. Still, the name "HUI" continued to be used until 1988 when it was changed to HIUW for Hawaii Island United Way.
 
This change has helped clarify both statewide and locally that HIUW is part of the United Way, allowing the organization to garner more benefit from United Way of America's standing. This name change marked the beginning of ongoing evolvement of HIUW's identity with regard to its internal organization and operation, profile in the community, approaches to fundraising, involvement of volunteers, marketing, planning, and its relation to other United Ways in the State of Hawaii. Indeed, the formation of the United Way Statewide Association of Hawaii (UWSAH), in 1988 has allowed the state's individual United Ways to exchange information and ideas.

The following year marked the first time donations passed the $1 million mark. Among other milestones in 1989 was the implementation of a donor choice program, allowing more flexibility for contributors.

In the nineties, the first annual meeting of the corporation was held in Waimea, and the first campaign video was created. An AFL-CIO community services liaison joined the HIUW staff to expand labor participation in the United Way, as well as a staff member to serve West Hawaii.

HIUW has seen many changes in the past forty years! You probably know HIUW best for our role in supporting a large network of local non-profit agencies. We have a proud history of providing a convenient way for employees and individuals to give back to the community and help Big Islanders. However, the challenges facing HIUW and our communities today have demanded a more strategic approach. In addition to focusing on programs through our partner agencies, HIUW is taking a pro-active role in strengthening our community as a convener/leader/partner. Our new community action strategy focuses on identifying and targeting specific populations at risk, bringing together agencies, government and foundations to collaborate on solutions so that we maximize efforts and build strategies that focus on root causes. Community impact is the primary measure of our success today.

Going forward, our vision is to build a stronger, healthier, more sustainable community through accountability, responsiveness, collaboration, leadership, integrity, and diversity.